Notes on a shootaround: Calm before the storm

MIAMI — Chris Bosh issued a bold declaration in the hours before tonight’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals, in which the Spurs will attempt to close out the defending champion Heat for the fifth title in franchise history.

Danny Green, he promised, will not be open.

Which begs the question: It only took five games and a Finals-record 25 3-pointers to figure out he should probably be defended?

Gregg Popovich said he will not broach that topic with Green, nor many others as the Spurs while away the anxious hours leading up to one of the biggest games they’ll ever play. The trick is to treat it like just another road game in February, a task at which the team’s veteran core has an abundance of experience.

“It’s not the most important thing in the world,” Popovich said. “It’s a big deal for a while. You go after it, and then life goes on. You hope you win. This group has been for a while now, or the core group. They’re all pros. They have kids, they have families, they know what their jobs are. That’s one of the reasons they’re in the Finals. They do their jobs.”

Indeed, Tony Parker said he’s had no problem sleeping since the Spurs ran away from the Heat in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead.

“I was tired,” he said. “I wanted to go to bed. That’s because we won (titles) before. We know that’s not the championship. Three games is good, but it’s not the championship. Everybody’s in the moment. Everybody’s focused. We don’t take it for granted.”

Yet even Parker, a veteran of three championship runs, couldn’t resist look ahead to another celebration.

“It would be unbelievable to win it again with Timmy and Manu,” he said.

But as Parker noted, works remains. Miami, still a slight favorite to win the series according to some handicappers, has not lost consecutive games since January and is 6-0 following losses in the playoffs, while LeBron James boasts the highest scoring average in history (31.5 ppg) under close-out circumstances.

The Heat are 45-7 at American Airlines Arena this season. But with the Spurs having already won Game 1 in Miami, Popovich said they’re looking forward to the challenge of beating the Heat again on their homecourt.

“On the road,” he said, “we’ve always believed you can focus a little bit more.”

Pick your poison: Green, who is shooting 65.8 percent on 3-pointers in the series, said actually welcomes extra defensive pressure, which might open up more space for his teammates.

“I feel as if we have so many threats out there on the floor, they can’t just focus on one guy,” he said. “They have to give up something. You can’t take away everything. They take away the shooting, there’s more penetration and stuff at the basket for us.”

Mind your own business: Popovich offered no clues if he plans to start Manu Ginobili again after the veteran guard enjoyed one of the most productive playoff games of his career (24 points, 10 assists) in Game 5.

“Call me later this afternoon,” he told the questioner, veteran Express-News reporter Mike Monroe. “I’ll tell you. Then you’ll be the only person who will know.”

Focus: Despite having instructed his friends and families to keep him out of the loop, Green can’t help but hear the chatter that he’s a leading candidate to win Finals MVP should the Spurs claim the title. That doesn’t mean he’s paying any attention to it.

“I hear the rumors,” he said. “but that’s not important. What’s important is getting the win.”

On the mend: Parker said his strained right hamstring continues to improve.

“It’s tight, but fine,” said Parker, who scored 26 points in Game 5. “It will hold up.”

Focal point: Even after surviving 19 turnovers in their last outing, the Spurs will continue to stress ball protection against Miami’s swarming defense. The Heat had been 43-3 when forcing at least 16 turnovers before losing Game 5.

“We have to keep it under 10 to have a chance,” Parker said. ”(We won Game 5) because we had more possessions. We played a little bit faster. At home you can get by a little bit with too many turnovers. But you can’t on the road.”

Quote of the day: “Because he’s 50. He should think like that.” – Tony Parker, on Duncan’s apparent nostalgia as what might be his last title run winds down.